Suction cleaner



C. G. TROXLER SU TI N CLEANER Sept. 16, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1938 INVENTOR Charles G. Troxler ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1941;

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOI Charles G. Troxler ATTORNEY C. G. TROXLER 2,255,790

Patented Sept. 16, 1941 SUCTION CLEANER Charles G. Troxler, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of hio Application December 29, 1938, Serial No. 248,286

Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to a new and novel agitator for a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention comprises a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner which embodies automatically adjustable brushes which are positioned at their optimum radial adjustment at the beginning of each period of agitator rotation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved agitator. It is a furlo ments and flexible brush elements. The brush ther object of the invention to provide a new elements are normally made of animal hairs and improved rotary agitator for a suction which gradually wear away with the use of the cleaner. A further object is to provide a new agitator. As both the brush elements and the and improved rotary agitator embodying brushes beater elements of the agitator must project subwhich are automatically adjusted to compenl5 stantially the same radial distances in order that sate for wear. A further object of the invenboth may be effective in agitator rotation, it foltion is to provide a suction cleaner rotary agitalows that as the brush element wears away it will tor embodying agitating elements subject to wear in time become entirely ineffective. In the old which are automatically adjusted to compensate type. of agitators it became necessary to remove therefor by means including an inertia release. the worn brush element and to replace it by 'a A further object of the invention is to provide an new element. Later agitators embodied means agitator for a suction cleaner in which at the by which. the brush element could be adjusted beginning of each period of use the agitator manually to a plurality of positions as the brush brushes are automatically released by means inbecame worn to compensate for wear. In the eluding an inertia member to be thrown cenagitator constructedin accordance with theprestrifugally outward to a definite radial extent and cut invention the brush element is automatically thereafter are drawn inwardly to their optimum repositioned each time the agitator is placed into working position as the agitator reaches a fixed use and is adjusted to a position at which its exspeedof rotation These and other more specific tension is substantially equal to or slightly objects will appear upon reading the following greater than that of the beater elements, despecification and claims and upon considering in pending upon the wishes of the designer. connection therewith the attached drawings to The automatic adjustment of the present inwhich they relate. vention is operated upon a new and novel prin- Referring now to the drawings in which a preciple in which the acceleration of the agitator ferred embodiment of the present invention is at the beginning of each cleaner use period redisclosed: leases the brushes by an inertia mechanism to Figure 1 illustrates a modern suction cleaner permit them to fly outwardly under centrifugal with certain parts of the casing broken away to force into contact with a shoe which surrounds show the invention embodied therein; the agitator within the cleaner nozzle. There- Fi r 2 is a section through the agit r upon after, and as the agitator attains a constant speed the line 2--2 of Figures 1 and 4. of rotation, spring means cause the brush to be Figure 3 is an exploded view of the brush adwithdrawn a predetermined distance from its justment mechanism of the agitator; contact with the positioning shoe, the inertia Figure 4 is a transverse section upon the line means being ineffective with the agitator rotat- 4-4 of Figure 2 and illustrates the relationship ing at a constant speed. By the terms. inertia of the brush adjustment mechanism with the means and inertia mechanism, as herein used, it agitator rotating at a fixed speed; is the intent to distinguish from the usual cen- Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 and illustrifugal means and mechanismswhich make use trates the relationship of the brush adjusting of centrifugal force. As herein used, inertia parts with the agitator accelerating at the bemeans and inertia mechanisms are those actuginning of a period of rotation; ated by change in the speed of rotation of the Figure 6 is a section upon the line 6-5 of agitator rather than by forces set up or gener- Figure 2 and discloses the brush elements slidated by the speed of rotation itself. inglypositioned within the brush seat and the Referring again tothe drawings in Figure l adjusting means connected thereto.

' means for the suction cleaner comprises a rotary agitator which embodies both rigid beating elea.modern suction cleaner is illustrated in which the cleaner .main casing. is seen to comprise a nozzle I having surface-contacting front and An ex-' chamber 6 and to its rear end is attached, by

j manually-operable means 9, a removable filter bag Ill. An unshown driving motor is positioned 1 within the motor casing -II immediately above the fan chamber 6, the motor functioning to i drive the fan which is carried by the motor shaft 3 l2. A driving pulley I3 is formed upon the lower extremity of the shaft I2 which drives the powertransmitting belt I4 extending forwardly through i the air passageway 4 to encircle the agitator, indicated generally by the reference character 1 I5 within the nozzle I.

3 supported upon front wheels j wheels I! and, as in the usual cleaner, a pivoted handle, the lower end of which is indi- 1 cated'at I8, is provided by which the operator can propel the machine in operation In gen- I6 and rear eral arrangement and function the parts heretofore described are as in the usual cleaner.

The cleaner agitator I5 comprises an elon- Each end of The A thread guard plate 24 is threaded jacent end plate 2I to protect the adjacent bear- 3 ing 22.

The agitating elements of the agitator comprise elongated helical rigid beater elements 26 which extend from substantially commonpoints at the ends of the agitator. the rigid beater elements 26 are flexible brush elements 21 each of which comprises a series of Cooperating with brush tufts 28, 28 which are mounted in an.

1 elongatedrigid back 29 which is itself slidingly positioned within a brush seat 36 formed in the agitator body 20. The brush seats are openbottomed and axially extending and are closed by the brush back 29 which fits closely therein.

The brushes 2! are not fixed to their seats 30 j and each brush instead is mounted upon a rod 35 which is positioned within the brush seat by two plates 31 each of which is pivotally connected along one of its sides to the rod 35. At their opposite sides the plates are pivotally coni nected to rods "which extend the length of the agitator to be slidingly positioned at each' end within a slot 33 which extends radially andtransversely of the brush seats 30. The slots 39 are formed in two plates 43 which are positioned within the agitator body adjacent the inner sides of end plates 2|. Each plate is formed with. a. centrally located boss 4| through which the agitator shaft 23 extends. These plates 40 also serve as the outer' end of the brush seats 30.

It is apparent that the connecting plates 31, which are attached to each brush and are joined by the elongated rods 36,insure the conjoint and synchronous movement of the brushes upon theopposite sides of the pulley. Any radial move! ment of either brush in its seat causes its conapart in an obvious manner resulting in the rods 33 moving toward or from each other and there- '-by producing identical movement of the plates and the brush in the remaining brush seat.

The plates 40 function as the mounting means for the brush positioning and locking mechanism. This mechanism comprises a slotted collar or slide 44 which slidingly encloses the boss M of the supporting plate 40 and which is slidingly held against the plate 40 by the headed end of the adjacent brush supporting rod 35.

The cleaner is movably The rod 35 also passes through a slot 45 formed in the'plate 40 which extends parallel to the brush seat 30 and perpendicularly to the slots 39. Slide is formed upon one side with a ratchet 46 comprising a series of aligned teeth. Rotatably mounted upon the plate boss 4| adjacent the slide 44 is a, pawl 48 combined with an inertia weight 49 and formedwith one or more teeth which are adapted to mesh with the teeth of the slide ratchet 46. A coil spring 5I is fixedly Y hooked to the adjacent plate 40 at one of its ends with its opposite end lying against the pawl 48, the relationship being such that the spring at all times urges the pawl in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 4 and 5, and to the upper limit of its angular travel, as viewed in those figures, as defined bythe pawl-stop pins 52. With the pawl held in this position, its normal position in agitator use and as illustrated in Figure 4, the pawl meshes with the ratchet 46 and the brushes 21 are fixedly positioned within the agitator body.

Cooperating with the agitator carried brush positioning and locking mechanism are a pair of brush contacting shoes 55 which are mounted within the nozzle I in encircling relationship to the agitator for a major portion of its periphery adjacent each end thereof. The shoes 55 are positioned at a predetermined distance from theaxis of agitator rotation and are adapted to be contacted by the brushelements of the a itator only when those elements are extended beyond their normal working positions.

.The operation of the. agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

Upon the cleaner being placed into operation,

as by the operator closing the motor controlling switch, the suction-creating fan and the driv ing pulley I3 are rotated. The fan is effective to create a flow of air through the cleaner nozzle, through the fan chamber and through the exhaust outlet 8 into the dust filter bag I0. A reduced pressure is created within the nozzle I which is effective to lift a surface covering undergoing cleaning into contact with the lips 2 and 3 of the nozzle and with the agitating elements of the agitator I5. The-agitator is rotated by the belt transmitted power from the pulley I3 and during the period of time in which the motor picks up speed at the beginning of its operation the agitator also is accelerated. During .the period of acceleration the inertia of weight 43 overcomes the pivoting force exerted upon the pawl 43 by the spring 5| and causes the pawl to move from its position illustrated in Figure 4 to the position illustrated in Figure 5 in which it is in contact with the trailing stop pin 52. In this position the teeth of the pawl 43 do not mesh with the teeth of the slide-carried ratchet 46 which is connected directly to necting plates 31 to be drawn together or moved 78 brush elements 21 are released and are thrown radially outward in their seats 30 under the action of centrifugal force. dition during the major portion of 360 degrees of rotation the extremities of the brush elements are in contact with the surrounding shoes 55, and the outer radial brush position is determined by this contact with the shoes. Across the open mouth of the nozzle the brushes will contact the lifted surface covering but this interval is relatively short and the radial position of the brush will be determined by its contact with the surrounding shoe.

So long as the agitator continues to accelerate under the actuation of the driving motor this brush-released relationship will continue and, regardless of the length of the bristles 28, the brush will extend to the shoes 55 unless, of course, they are so worn that they are no longer able to extend that far. As the cleaner operation continues, however, the normal speed of operation and rotation of the agitator will be reached at which time there will be no inertia force acting upon the weights 49 and the pawl 48, acting 'under the pivoting force exerted by the coil spring will be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figures4 and 5.. Before the weight 49 has contacted the forward or leading stop pin 52 the teeth of the pawl 48 will have.

meshed with the teeth of ratchet 46 and the further movement of the pawl as the inertia weight advances to the forward stop pin 52 will result in the slide 44 being moved inwardly upon the plate 40 a predetermined distance. The extent of this movement'is always the same .for the pawl teeth always contact the ratchet teeth at the same angular position and rotate thereafter through a fixed angle. This radial movement of slide 44 also results in the inward radial movement of the brush-carrying rod 35 to which it is attached and with the rod, of course, the brush 21 moves radially inward in the brush seat. The synchronous adjustment of the brushes at the opposite ends of the agitator is insured ,by the interconnecting mechanism comprising the plates 31 and the elongated rods 38.-

With the pawl 18 in its operating and constant speed' position the" slide 44 will have been moved inwardly radially a fixed extent and the brush elements 21 also will have been withdrawn radially a fixed distance from their contact'with the encircling shoes 55. This distance is so fixed that the brushes in their locked position have the correct radial extension relative to the axis of agitator rotation andalso relative to the extension of the beater elements 26.

It is clear that each time the cleaner and the agitator are placed into operation this period of adjustment for the brush elements will occur, and the wear of the brush element which has previously taken place with use and which has decreased the bristle length will not affect the final position to which the brush element is set until such a time as the brush has become so worn that it is no longer able to move outwardly into contact with the encircling shoes 55. At that time no further proper adjustment is possible and the brush is considered worn out and of necessity requiresreplacement. Before that time has been reached, however, the life of the brush has been greatly increased by permitting its continued use and effectiveness long after it would have become ineil'ective had its position V not been corrected.

I claim: 1. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner,

In this released conupon the agitator reaching a constant speed of a radially movable agitating element subject to wear in use, and means to adjust said element radially to compensate for such wear comprising means to release said element during a period of agitator acceleration to move radially outward under centrifugal force, and means to withdraw said element radially a predetermined distance rotation.

2. In a rotary agitator for suction cleaners,;a radially adjustable agitating element, inertia-' operated means to release said element for radial movement during the accelerating period of said agitator, and means to lock said element at a fixed position with said agitator rotating at constant speed.

3. In a suction cleaner, a rotary agitator including a radiallyv adjustable agitating element, inertia-operated means to release said element to be thrown radially outward by centrifugal force during 'an accelerating period of said agitator, and means to withdraw said element radially, a fixed distance with said agitator rotating at constant speed, and means carried by saidcleaner to limit the extent of outward radial movement of said element.

4. In combination in a suction cleaner, a rotary agitator including a body and a rigid beating element and a-fiexible brushing element therein, means mounting said brushing element for radial movement on said body, inertia-operated means to release said brushing element to be thrown radially outward during a period of acceleration of said agitator, and means to with draw said brushing element a predetermined distance at the termination of said period, and a 51106 within said nozzle adapted to contact said brushing element to limit its outward radial movement. V

5. In a, suction cleaner, a rotatable agitator, an agitator element radially movable "by centrifugal force, stationary ,rneans to limit the radial movement of said element, inertia-operated means to release said element for outward radial movement during a period of rotational speed change, and spring means to withdraw said element a predetermined distance at the end of said period.

6. In a suction cleaner rotary agitator, a rotatable body, a brush seat in said body, a brush radially movable in said seat, means controlling the radial movement of said brush including a ratchet, a pawl to move and to fix the position of said ratchet, spring means urging said pawl in one direction and into contact with said ratchet, and an inertia weight carried by said pawl to overcome the force of said spring to move said pawl from said ratchet during the acceleration of said agitator.

7. In a suction cleaner rotary agitator, a rotatable agitator body, an agitating brush mounted for radial-movement on said body, a brush positioner element connected to said brush and mounted for pivotal movement on said body under its inertia in the acceleration of said body, and spring means to overcome the inertia of said positioner element with said agitator rotating at constant speed to actuate said positioner element to move said brush a predetermined distance radially.

8. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a brush element, means to position said element radially including an inertia weight to release said brush for outward radial movement during agitator acceleration and spring actuated means to; fix said brush in an inner radial position in which said brush has a constant radial extension during constant speed rotation.

9. In a suction cleaner rotary agitator, aradially adjustable brush, automatic means to move and secure said brush at a predetermined radial extension, and an inertia weightconnected to and adapted to overcome said means to release said brush temporarily and operable upon the acv celeration of the a tator.

10. A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, comprising a brush element subject to decrease in size with wear, means mounting said element for radial adjustment. relative to the axis of rotation to compensate for wear, and springpressed inertia-operated means actuated by a a rotatable hollow cylindrical body, a plurality of interconnected arcuately spaced radially movchange in agitator speed of rotation to reposition and fix said brush in position.

111. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner,

a. brush, means supporting said brush for radial able agitating elements subject to wear in use mounted in said body, and means to adjust said elements simultaneously and. radially to compensate for such wear comprising means to release said elements to move radially outward relative to the axis of rotation of said body under centrifugal force, and spring-actuated means to withdraw said elements simultaneously and radially a predetermined distance upon the agitator reaching a constant speed of rotation.

14. In a suction cleaner, a rotatable agitator, an agitating element radially movable relative to the axis of rotation by centrifugal force and having an optimum position, stationary means to limit the outward displacement of said element to a radial position slightly greater than movement, a brush positioner to move and to fix the radial position of said supporting means, inertia-operated means to release said. positioner .during agitator acceleration, and spring means to move said positioner into operative position agitator reaching a constant speed of rotation.

13. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner,

- stationary means.

its optimum position, inertia-operated means to release said element during agitator acceleration to move outwardly into contact with said stationary means, and means automatically operable upon said agitator reaching a constant speed of rotation to retract said element to its optimum radial position at which it does not contact said 15. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner,

a radially movable agitating element subject to wear in use, and means to adjust said element radially to compensate for such wear comprising means to release said element during the period said agitator is being placed into operation to move radially outward under centrifugal force, and means to withdraw said element radially a predetermined distance upon the agitator reaching a constant speed of rotation.

CHARLES G. 'I'ROXLER. 

